Pseudophacopteron pusillum, Malenovský & Burckhardt & Tamesse, 2007

Malenovský, Igor, Burckhardt, Daniel & Tamesse, Joseph L., 2007, Jumping plant-lice of the family Phacopteronidae (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) from Cameroon, Journal of Natural History 41 (29 - 32), pp. 1875-1927 : 1920-1923

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222930701515488
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A87A6-FFDB-FF82-FE03-C05EFF0DFDD7
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pseudophacopteron pusillum
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pseudophacopteron pusillum View in CoL sp. n.

(Figures 2E, F, 4G, 5D, 6H, 7H, 8H, 9I, 10H, 12F, 13H, 20, 21G)

Description

Adult. Colour: body ochreous. Vertex and pronotum laterally and on either side of the median line with dark brown markings or, especially in males, entirely dark brown with a pale ochreous midline. Genae ochreous. Frons dark brown. Clypeus ochreous to dark brown. Pronotum dark brown, tubercles behind eyes with light ochreous points, sometimes the entire posterior pronotal margin lighter. Mesopraescutum with two triangular dark brown macules in anterior two-thirds or almost entirely dark brown with ochreous posterior margin. Mesoscutum often with four dark bands or entirely ochreous. Metapostnotum ochreous. Lateral sclerites of thorax dark brown to black. Antenna off-white to ochreous, segments 4–7 narrowly dark brown apically, segment 8 entirely pale, segments 9–10 entirely black, terminal setae white. Legs off-white or dirty yellow, metacoxa with a dark brown spot at apical margin, profemur and mesofemur with dark brown streaks near apex and base, metafemur with a dark brown streak medially, metatibia dark brown basally. Fore wing membrane clear, transparent, with pattern consisting of a dark brown band along distal half of posterior margin (from distal half of cell cu1 to the posterior tip of cell r2, leaving two small transparent crescents at wing margin in m1 and m2) and a smaller brown patch along the vein Cu1b, especially on its inner side ( Figure 6H View Figure 6 ). Veins off-white to ochreous, except for dark brown or black spots medially on R+M+Cu1, at base of R immediately after branching off of M+Cu1, on the M+Cu1 fork and Cu1 fork, the touching point of Rs and M1+2, and two spots on anal vein, which is also brown basally. Hind wing clear, transparent, vein C+Sc dark brown. Abdominal tergites light brown, laterally and on tubercles on dorsum darker brown. Sternites off-white to dirty yellow, only the first visible sternite laterally largely dark brown to black. Male terminalia entirely dirty yellow. Female terminalia dirty yellow, with subgenital plate and proctiger basally dark brown.

Morphology: head, in dorsal view, slightly wider than mesonotum, subglobular. Vertex in males slightly shiny, in females with microsculpture, matt, about twice as wide as long along midline, rounded down in front (Figure 2E). Coronal suture reduced throughout. Median ridge on vertex raised, distinct. Vertex on either side of median ridge convex, slightly bulging. Lateral ocelli lying on small tubercles slightly above plane of vertex. Occiput in dorsal view narrowly triangular. Preoccipital sclerite narrow, eyes not stalked, in frontal view subglobular. Genae slightly swollen. Tubercle below torulus pointed, forming an acute angle (Figure 2F). Frons narrow, parallel-sided. Clypeus broadly pyriform. Antenna robust, weakly serrate; segments 4–9 short, widening apically ( Figure 4G View Figure 4 ); a single subapical rhinarium on each of segments 4–9; rhinaria elliptic with a wreath of cuticular spines; terminal setae equal, approximately as long as or slightly longer than the segments 9 and 10 together ( Figure 5D View Figure 5 ). Fore wing moderately elongate, weakly widening in apical half, anterior margin in outer half almost straight, apex truncate. Vein Rs relatively short. Surface spinules present in apical part of cell r2, in cells m1, m2, cu1, and cu2, arranged in small fields along apical and posterior wing margin ( Figure 7H View Figure 7 ). Costal break in apical fourth of C+Sc. Hind legs moderately long and slender. Meracanthus short, acute, pointed. Metafemur constricted medially. Metatibia bearing an open crown of eight unsclerotized apical spurs and two rows of two to seven additional similar spurs laterally. Metabasitarsus bearing two black sclerotized spurs. Dorsal margin of abdomen, in profile, serrate; posterior margin of tergites 3 and especially 4 and 5 medially swollen into a prominent tubercular process. Male terminalia as in Figure 8H View Figure 8 . Proctiger relatively short, cylindrical, robust. Subgenital plate, in profile, slightly longer than high, dorsal margin straight. Paramere, in profile, relatively short and stout, from the middle slightly narrowing to apex, apex narrowly rounded; in posterior view, inner and outer margins parallel-sided; inner surface covered in fine setae and ca four stouter setae subapically, apex forming a small sclerotized tooth ( Figure 9I View Figure 9 ). Basal segment of aedeagus stout; apical segment with a hooked head, broad and truncate at apex, dorsal margin convex; sclerotized end tube of ductus ejaculatorius relatively long, sinuate ( Figure 10H View Figure 10 ). Female terminalia as in Figure 12F View Figure 12 . Proctiger relatively long, dorsal margin sinuate, apical process long; circumanal ring with two rows of pores, pores of outer row not contiguous. Subgenital plate, in profile, relatively long, dorsal margin weakly concave, ventral margin more or less straight, apex blunt; in ventral view, broad and almost parallel-sided, apex sinuate with a small indentation ( Figure 13H View Figure 13 ). Dorsal and ventral valvulae with several (three to five) distinct lateral teeth at apex. Measurements and ratios in Tables I–III.

Fifth instar larva ( Figure 20 View Figure 20 ). Uniformly pale yellow, apical segment of antenna darker. Body relatively slender. Body margin with a few short simple setae and 1 + 1 slender blunt lanceolate setae on caudal plate. A small simple seta present in anterior half of ocular region. Eyes with more than 50 ommatidia. Antenna straight, relatively long, with nine segments; a single rhinarium apically on each of segments 7 and 8. Tarsal arolium very small relative to claws, with a more or less rounded pad and indistinct petiole ( Figure 21G View Figure 21 ). Abdomen dorsally weakly sclerotized, with six indistinct segments, caudal plate incompletely fused; abdomen narrowing to apex, margin of caudal plate concave subapically; apex narrow, irregularly rounded. Anus in terminal position. Circumanal ring large, sinuate, situated laterally, slightly extending on to ventral surface of abdomen. Measurements and ratios in Table IV.

Host plant

Teclea afzelii , probably also T. nobilis (Rutaceae) .

Biology

The larvae induce distortions on the leaves. The eggs are laid on the upper leaf surface along the median vein.

Distribution

Cameroon, Uganda.

Material examined

Holotype: „, Cameroon: Centre Province, Yaounde´, Mt Eloundem, 3 ° 519N, 11 ° 319E, 759 m, 17 November 2002, Teclea afzelii , secondary forest (J. L. Tamesse). Dry-mounted (NHMB). Paratypes: Cameroon: 12 „, 10♀, 15 larvae, same data as holotype; 2 „, 2♀, West Province, Titié (Foto), Dschang, 10 ° 049N, 5 ° 269E, 27 March 2006, Dacryodes edulis (J. L. Tamesse and V. J. Dzokou) ; 1 „, South Province, Mvila, Ebolowa (Nkouevome), 29 January 2006, Albizia cf. altissima (J. L. Tamesse and Y. P. Mveyo) . Uganda: 8 „, 35♀, District Masindi, Budongo Forest near Sonso, 1 ° 459N, 31 ° 359E, 19–30 June 1995, canopy fogging, swamp forest, Teclea nobilis (T. Wagner) ; 67 „, 81♀, same data but 11–20 July 1995; 2 „, 6♀, same data but 21–30 July 1995. Dry- and slide-mounted, and preserved in alcohol (BMNH, LZUY, MAKB, MHNG, MMB, NHMB, USNM).

Etymology

From the Latin adjective pusillus 5 tiny, referring to its small size.

Comments

Pseudophacopteron pusillum View in CoL sp. n. is similar to P. verrucifrons Burckhardt and van Harten, 2006 View in CoL , from Yemen and Kenya, in the small size, the dark band along distal half of posterior fore wing margin, the relatively short and stout paramere, the broad and more or less hooked apical dilation of the distal segment of aedeagus, and the relatively long female subgenital plate. P. pusillum View in CoL differs from P. verrucifrons View in CoL in the following characters: fore wing membrane in anterior half clear; the absence of anterior tubercles on vertex; the longer terminal setae on antenna; the short and robust male proctiger; the paramere, in profile, with apex narrowly rounded; the circumanal ring with two rows of pores; the form of female subgenital plate; the dorsal and ventral valvulae with several distinct lateral teeth at apex; the host plant association.

P. verrucifrons View in CoL is characterized as follows: fore wing membrane with dark patches around the apex of vein Rs, at the touching point of veins Rs and M1+2, and at the M+Cu fork; vertex anteriorly bearing two tubercles; terminal setae on antenna shorter (T150.04–0.05; T250.03–0.04; T1/TS50.80–0.83); male proctiger slightly longer and slender (MP50.13); paramere, in profile, with truncate apex; circumanal ring with only one row of pores; female subgenital plate, in ventral view, narrowly triangular, more or less regularly narrowing to truncate apex; dorsal valvulae lacking lateral teeth; host plant is Commiphora africana (Burseraceae) View in CoL . See also the comments under P. eastopi View in CoL sp. n. and P. lecaniodisci View in CoL sp. n.